Systems which utilize multiple or cyclic chemical reactions to produce a desired product often have careful temperature control to produce optimal results. Such reactions include nucleic acid amplification reactions such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the ligase chain reaction (LCR). However, because of the cost and difficulty associated with existing transportable testing equipment, such systems have thus far been unavailable in field-based operations.
A number of thermal “cyclers” used for DNA amplification and sequencing currently exist in the market, wherein the temperature controlled elements in these cyclers are heated and maintained at a certain desired temperature. However, these devices suffer drawbacks, such as high energy demand to operate, heat, and maintain the temperature at a prescribed level, and contamination, size and weight of the apparatus. These drawbacks often render the devices not practical in field operations.
Thus, there exists a need to develop a thermocycler system that is portable and can be operated without being connected to an external power source. It is further desirable to have such system with a long operating life and to be user-friendly, thereby adaptable for field use.